(UPDATE): Christian Thibault, an anti-racism activist, said that the police should be more effective in trying to defuse potential problems at the Itäkeskus shopping center.

“Some people who took part in the Suomi ensin demonstration are accusing the Muslim woman of provoking them,” he said. “That may be a question but isn’t the demonstration a provocation to the peaceful people who visit Itäkeskus?”

It would be disingenuous to claim that there is no connection with the alleged attack against the Muslim woman and the xenophobic climate in Finland that is fueled and maintained by groups like Suomi ensin and other far-right xenophobic groups.

Considering those members of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, which is in government with the Center Party and National Coalition Party, have spread racist and xenophobic rhetoric for years. This has created and emboldened racists to show their true racist colors.

We hope that the police doesn’t drag its feet but offers details of what happened Sunday at the shopping center.

Below are some links to stories that migrants and minorities were targets of PS hostility in July:

* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The English names of the party adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We, therefore, prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings. The direct translation of “Perussuomalaiset” is “basic” or “fundamental Finn.”